Rotary engine.



l. H. GUINN.- ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATJON man MAY 3. 1911.

Patented May 7 1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I May.

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JAMES H. GUINN, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1918.

Application filed May 31, 1917. Serial No. 173,020.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. GUTNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rotary engines for operation by steam, air, water or other elements under pressure, and the primary object thereof is to provide an engine which will afford the maximum power for the minimum size and space required for the operation thereof.

A further object is to provide an engine of such character that the rotor may be supplied continuously with steam, air or water under pressure, for continuous operation, and whereby the back pressure around the rotor may be almost if not entirely eliminated and a constant source of trouble and loss of power thus provided against.

A furtherobject is to provide a housing within which a rotor may be supported rotatably and yieldably against the pressure around the periphery thereof, the supporting point, or-fulcrum, of the rotor being eccentric relative to the main axis of the rotor and said axis being movable slightly, for providing increased leverage against the periphery of the rotor, and thus increasing the power while decreasing the effort expended in turning the rotor on its axis.

A further object is to provide a fulcrum for the rotor at a point substantially in vertical alinement with the axis of the rotor and thereabove and a steam, air or water inlet to the housing for action against the periphery of the rotor, primarily to one side of the fulcrum, and yieldable means acting against the periphery thereof at a point sub-- stantially equally spaced from the fulcrum With said other point, for holding the rotor in rotatable relation with a driven element operated thereby.

A further object is to provide a support the rotor at a point remote from its center of gravity but within the periphery for increasing the work done by the rotor in foot pounds relative to the pressure per square inch of the actuating element. Other objects will appear as the description progresses.

eferring to the drawings, in which simiacters ofreferenoe indicate the same or like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine with the housing partly broken away to show the interior thereof. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of a portion of the housing and rotor showing the actuating vane in closed position, the same being openin Fig.

Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of the rotor rim showing a plan of the actuating vane and support'therefor. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the engine at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section of the housing and rotor on a diagonal plane of Fig. 1 showing the yieldable means for action against the rotor to counteract the pressure on the reverse side of the fulcrum. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the same, and Fig. 8 is a plan of the same.

1 and 2 are housing members for inclosing the operating parts which, with minor exceptions, are substantially alike'and have annular flanges 3 and 4 which are bolted together at their faces, with any suitable pack ing material therebetween, by bolts 5 held in place by suitable nuts." Feet '6 are formed integral with the sides of the housing members and extend substantially below the periphery thereof and are adapted to sustain the engine in operating position. The feet may be suitably secured by lIlQtLl'lS'Of bolts to the floor or a concrete or other form of base upon which the engine may operate.

A relatively narrow chamber 7 of preferably large diameter is formedbetween the housing members 1 and 2 in which a rotor 8 is adapted to be rotatably supported, a portion 9 of the chamber 7 being separate therefrom by the rim 10 of therotor in which the actuating element is adapted to be admitted through a suitable inlet, as at 11, to which may be attached'a pipe 12 leading to the source of supply. The sides of the rotor rim tightly fit the inner sides of the housing members 1 and 2 so that the steam or other element may be retained in the annular chamber 9 around the rotor, and this chamber is continuous therearound except for a depending partition or vane 13 integrally formed with the housing members 1 and 2 which has a width equal to that of the chamber 9 and is adapted to engage the periph cry of the rotor for closing the right and left portions 'ofthe chamber from communi cation so that the steam,"a.ir or., water ad mitted to the chamber 9 may pass only in an anti-clockwise direction, as indicated in Fig. 1, and only a relatively inappreciabl'e back pressure will exist at any time on the right side of the chamber.

The inner side or periphery of the rim of the rotor has an internal gear of ring formation, as at 141, formed on or attached thereto which meshes with and is adapted to drive a small pinion 15 keyed by means of a key 16 or otherwise attached to a horizontal shaft 17 journaled in the housing member 2 in bearing 18. An arm 19 is loosely held by means of bearing 20 at the upper end on the shaft 17 and the lower end thereof carries a stud or pin 21 on which the rotor is loosely mounted, this arm merely serving to maintain the gears 14 and 15 in proper mesh at all times during the operation of the engine. 7 A pivoted vane 22'is mounted on a pin 23 extending through a lug 2 1 formed on the periphery ofthe rotor and is adapted to be held in extended position, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of a fiat spring 25 attached at one end to the rotor rim and the other end thereof engaging the lower recessed side of the vane 22. A tail 26 is formed on the vane which seats in a recess 27 in the rotor rim when the vane is extended, thus limiting the outward movement of the vane to an orbit coinciding with the inner wall of the chamber 9 formed by housing members 1 and 2.

The vane 22 is adapted to seat in a recess 28 when closed, as shown in Fig. 2, the spring 25, in such case, being compressed between the recessed side of the vane and the bottom of the recess in the rim of the rotor, so as to permit the vane to pass under the partition or stationary vane 13 which closes the chamber 9.

l/Vhen the steam, or other element, is admitted to the chamber 9 through inlet 11, the pressure is exerted against the vane 22, the vane 13 serving to close the other portion of the chamber from communication therewith, and the rotor is caused to revolve within the housing, thus driving shaft 17 by means of gears 14 and 15 and communicating motion to the machinery which may be connected with shaft 17 exterior of the hous ing. The tendency of the pressure on the left side of the chamber is to move the rotor bodily around its fulcrum, which is the shaft 17, while at the same time tending to rotate the rotor on its axis, and to provide against too great a movement of the rotor in the former manner as stated, a roller 29 having a width of face equal to that of the rotor is mounted in an extension 30 formed in the housing on a shaft 31 which is j'ournaled at the outer ends exterior of the housing in bearings 32 formed on plates 33.

Plates for supporting the roller 29 are slidably held between the outer surface of titrev housing members 1 and 2 guides 34:

on opposite sides of the plates, and the upper portions of the bearing plates have right angularly extended lugs 35 which carry pins 36 extended through and for slidable relation with similar lugs 37 formed on housing members 1 and 2. Springs 38 are held in tension on the pins 36 between lugs 35 and 37 at each end of shaft 31 and thus serve to hold the roller 29 resiliently and yieldably in engagement with the rotor rim for counteracting the pressure on the opposide of the axis thereof.

It will be observed that my improved engine is adapted for use with a constant live pressure, and such being the case, the pressure will be constantly applied to the rotor vane 22 during the movement thereof around the axis of the rotor, until a point approximating three-quarters of the entire distance around the periphery of the rotor is reached, when the steam or other elements will be exhausted through the outlet 39 and pipe 40 which may extend to any convenient point for further use of the steam or final discharge.

It will be also observed that with an equal pressure in chamber 9 at all points around the rotor, the work accomplished in foot pounds at the point of entry to the chamber will be greatly less than that accomplished at points nearing the diametrical plane thereof, for the fulcrum being at shaft 17, more energy is required to produce a given result near the fulcrum than at a point more remote therefrom, and such being the case, the work accomplished by the engine in a single rotation of the rotor gradually increases as the vane 22 moves downwardly from the inlet to a point diametrically opposite where the leverage is the greatest. This would not be true if the rotor were rigidly held on its normal axis, which would be stud 21, for the pressure applied on the rim would be equal and all points thereon being equidistant from the axis, the wor would also. be constant.

The movement of roller 29 is slight and serves only to prevent shock in the initial rotation of the rotor and to cushion the rotor against any variation in pressure, but in operation, it will be obvious that the roller serves to guide the rotor in its normal path of action and relieve the friction which would otherwise result.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is:

1. A rotary engine comprising a housing having an annular chamber therein, a rotor yieldably suspended for rotation in said chamber, a driven element supported in said housing and constituting a support for said rotor and arranged for operation thereby, and steam supply and exhaust means connected with said chamber.

A. rotary engine comprising a housing,

yieldably suspended a rotor revolubly mounted within said housing and forming a chamber therearound, said rotor beingsupported at a point remote from its center ofzgravity and within the periphery, a driven element arranged for operation by said rotor and supported within said housing, a yieldable element for engagement with said rotor, and steam inlet and outlet means, as set forth.

3. A rotary engine comprising a housing, a driving element revolubly supported within said housing at a point eccentric with the center of gravity thereof, a chamber being formed in said housing around said driving element, a stationary rib depending into said chamber, a closure for said chamber on said driving element, steam supply and exhaust means for said chamber, the pressure of the steam between said rib and said closure serving to rotate said driving element, and a yieldable element in contact with the periphery of said driving element.

rotary engine comprising a housing provided with a steam inlet and outlet and a cylindrical chamber formed therein, a driving element revolubly and eccentrically supported in said chamber, an annular passage being formed by said driving element for receiving the supply of steam, a stationary rib closing communication between opposite portions of said annular passage, a pivoted closure on the periphery of said driving element and a driven element for operation by said driving element.

5. A rotary engine comprising a housing for inclosing the operating elements, a rotor therewithin having its axis of action in the center of gravity and supported at a point eccentric thereto, a steam passage being formed around said rotor, a stationary closure in and for closing one portion of said passage from the other portion, a steam inlet and outlet communicating with said passage. and a pivoted closure on said rotor, the steam pressure being exerted between said closures for operating said rotor, and means on the opposite side of said inlet for counteracting the pressure against said rotor.

6. A rotary engine comprising a housing having a steam inlet and outlet connected with the interior thereof, a rotor yieldably suspended within said housing and forming a steam passage therearound, a closure for said passage adjacent to said steam inlet, a closure on the periphery of said rotor for engagement with the outer Wall of said passage and movable relative to said other closure for holding the pressure therebetween, and a driven element operated by said rotor.

7. A rotary engine comprising a housing having a closed chamber therewithin provided with an inlet and outlet, a rotor therewithin from a point eccentric relative to its axis and repoint eccentric viding anannular pressure chamber therearound, a stationary closure in said pressure chamber, a movable closure on said rotor and within said chamber, between which and said stationary closure the pressure may act to revolve said rotor, and a driven element supported at a point coincident with and co centric relative to the operating axis of said rotor and operated thereby.

8. A rotary engine comprising a housing, a rotor supported for action therein at a relative to its axis, a pressure chamber therearound having an inlet and outlet, a stationary closure for said passage and a movable closure therefor on said rotor, a driven element having an axis coincident with the fulcrum point of said rotor, and a yiedable driven element in engagement with said rotor.

9. A rotary engine comprising a separa-' ble housing forming a compartment there- Within, a rotor yieldably supported relative to said housing within said compartment and forming a pressure chamber therearound, pressure supply and exhaust means for said chamber, a closure separating the pressure and exhaust portions of said chamber, and a yieldable closure on said rotor for imparting motion to said rotorby the action of the pressure thereagainst.

10. Arotary engine comprising a separable housing forming a compartment there- Within, a rotor yieldably supported relative to said housing within said compartment and forming a pressure chamber therearound, pressure supply and exhaust means for said chamber, a closure separating the pressure and exhaust portions of said chamber, means on said rotor and having an area corresponding to that of said pressure chamber for imparting motion to said rotor by the action of the pressure thereagainst.

11. A rotary engine comprising a housing, a rotor supported therewithin and yieldable at right angles to its axis and forming an annular pressure passage therearound, pressure supply and exhaust means for said passage, a closure separating the'pressure and exhaust portions of said chamber or passage, means on said rotor and operating in said passage for imparting rotary motion to said rotor by the pressure thereagainst, and a driven element operated by said rotor for communicating motion to points exterior of said housing.

12. A rotary engine comprising a housing, a rotor supported therein and yieldable at right angles to its axis and forming a pressure passage between the rotor and housing, pressure supply and exhaust means for said passage, a closure therein for separating the pressure and exhaust portions, a movable closure therein attached to said rotor for rotatmg said rotor by the pressure between the closures, a driven element supported in said housing for operation by said rotor, and a vieldable member also supported for operation by and for counteracting the pressure against said rotor.

13. A rotary engine comprising a housing, a rotor supported therein at a point eccentric relative to its axis and forming a pressure passage therearound, a stationary and a movable closure disposed in said pressure passage for rotating said rotor by means of the pressure therebetween, pressure supply Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing and exhaust means for said passage, a driven element supported in said housing for operation by said rotor, and a yieldable driven element also supported in said housing and in engagement with and operable by said rotor, for the purpose described. I y Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, and State of California. 7 v i JAMES H. GUINN. Witnesses: I

JAMEs R. Rronnr'rs, S. O. ALBRIGHT.

the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, DQ 0. 

